The Time Mission
Isaac always liked nights like this at Torrington; whenever he had nothing for the next day due and everything was done, he would go to the library and read a book he brought with him to this school… and his new life. Two months have passed since Isaac met Martin and Diana again after almost 7 years, and since he became a Center agent himself, something he always wanted to be. He was surprised at the amount of paranormal activity in the world, since nearly every week they were called for a case.
It's amazing how some stories can describe paranormal creatures so accurately, Isaac mused as he read a book from one of his favorite series, Artemis Fowl, and the creature he mused about were goblins. In the book, they had the natural traits given to goblins of most tales, and also the ability to wield fire, a trait that proved true, since his favorite coat was almost charred by them two weeks ago. He usually had such nights without interruptions, but this one would prove to be far different…
As he continued reading, an older woman came into the library, and was wearing the usual work clothes, and had violet hair, stern features and blue eyes. He would know her from anywhere, since of course, she was his mother. "I'm surprised you are up so late," she said as she walked over. "By this time, most kids in this school are fast asleep, even Diana sometimes."
"Which as we all know, only happens when she isn't studying for a test, or has nothing to do," Isaac added, well aware of Diana's work habits, "with both events being non-existent." Isaac, curious about why M.O.M was here in the first place, asked why she was there.
"Since you are the only one of the team awake, I decided to come here personally to tell you, that Octavia Paine somehow broke out of the Center's prison," she told Isaac.
Isaac knew of Octavia very well. He knew she sent those Black Ops agents to kill both him and his Dad when he was seven, and the fact she tried to destroy the Center with a super-creature she created, but was thwarted by Diana and Martin after they sent the creature to another dimension. She had a very big vendetta against M.O.M. But if there was one thing he did know, was that she couldn't get out on her own, since Center prison cells were intended for monsters, with the most advanced technologies, and so no human could break out of one.
"She may try to retrieve the creature again, so I want you to tell Martin and Diana about it in the morning."
"And after that, we try to find and stop her from doing so," Isaac asked.
"No, Isaac, you will stay out of this one," M.O.M replied.
"What do you mean? I have been through my share of danger with the group, but that doesn't mean that I can't go since you deemed it too dangerous for me, mother!" Isaac shouted in an uncharacteristic outburst.
"You will do as you are told, since you are both my agent and my son," M.O.M shouted back, "and you don't have enough experience to take on something as serious as this with the rest of the group."
And so the great argument began. "If you recall, I have performed excellently on the few missions I have been on, and even saved Diana on that one mission."
"That was just one mission out of the nine, while on another mission, you yourself fell victim to the target."
"True, that may have happened, but on the others, I performed very well, so just because you don't want me to get hurt, doesn't mean you can just keep me behind!"
"They have had experience with her, while you have none, meaning you're unprepared for it, and that's why you'll stay behind, while Agents Mystery and Lombard will find where she is and stop her!"
"They won't find her in time."
The fire of the argument sputtered as if it was exposed to a vacuum, as both Isaac and even M.O.M yelped as if they heard a ghost, and turned to the source of the voice. That machine definitely wasn't there before, and neither was the girl, the thought rang simultaneously through both of their heads, as they saw a capsule-shaped vehicle parked squarely in the middle of the library, and the helmeted girl, wearing a red trench coat and black shirt and pants, that came with it.
Amazing, Isaac thought, they both appeared and didn't even make a sound.
"Who are you," M.O.M demanded to the stranger, "and what is that?"
She only smiled, and said as she seemed to look at Isaac, "You'll have to come with me to find out."
M.O.M was uncertain whether or not to trust this person, but Isaac was more stunned by the smile, the clothing style and the voice. It's impossible, he reasoned, but that voice and smile seems all too familiar to me, and the clothes are like mine. "How can we trust you," Isaac asked, "if we don't know who you are?"
"I was told you would ask that, and I was instructed to tell you when I got here."
"Who told you to," Isaac asked, eager to know, "Precisely?"
The masked figure hesitated. "…I can't tell you that right now. I just need you to come with me."
"To where, exactly," M.O.M asked interrogatively, "that machine looks like a schematic Billy drew up. In fact, the technology for such a design is illegal."
"Right now it is," the masked girl said, gesturing to the machine, "but when I came from, it has become necessary to use, and-"
"Wait a minute!" Isaac stated in surprise. "When you came from? What do you-?"
"Isaac," Olivia explained, "that appears to be the finished result of a time machine Billy sketched up."
"You mean…you are from the future?"
"…Yeah, that is precisely where I'm from." The girl stated.
"Do you have any idea as to how risky time travel really is?" M.O.M bellowed out. "Going back in time risks altering history, and-"
"That is precisely why this technology was allowed to be made," the girl pleaded, as if she was being scolded, "because…because the future is a living Hell, and you need to change things, so at least you have a chance at a peaceful life."
Silence filled the room. If the future was described as such, then M.O.M acknowledged the urgency. "I just need to get a U-Watch for Isaac. You stay right there."
With that, M.O.M activated a portal, and went to her office. Just as she did so, Isaac heard the girl say this: "…Okay, Grandma."
Isaac stood petrified, and he heard the girl's worried and shocked mutters as she realized what she said. His head creaked as he turned towards the girl, and she grasped her left arm with her right hand. It was only by the time M.O.M came back that Isaac could get the words out, and they came out with a scream.
"SAY WHAT? WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S YOUR GRANDMOTHER?"
"Grand-mother?" M.O.M inquired to her shocked son. "What are you-?" She gasped as the words struck her, and she turned towards the girl, who placed her hands on her helmet. "Y-you mean…you're…?" M.O.M gasped as she saw the face beneath the helmet.
The girl's face seemed to resemble Isaac's own face, and she had emerald green eyes. But the most telling part about her features was her silver-white hair that went slightly past her shoulder. She smiled sheepishly at the shocked Isaac. "Hi, Dad."
Wh-what's going on? Isaac thought in disbelief, trying to process what he was seeing and hearing. I…A dad…I have a daughter…I…I… He was so stunned, that he didn't even avoid getting slapped by the girl.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?" Isaac stammered.
"Snapping you back to your senses before you had a nervous breakdown," the girl stated. "I can barely even believe you are the same man who raised me."
M.O.M tried to take things in stride, and barely succeeded. "Well…remember that…your Dad is just a kid at this time, so…" Yet she couldn't stop herself from smiling, and at least shedding a tear; she was actually going to have a grandchild in the future.
"Please, I'm only fifteen years old myself," Isaac's daughter muttered, "and at this time, he's seventeen. Experience wise, I'm his senior at this point, and-"
A shuddering breath was heard, and she was surprised to find Isaac wrapping his arms tightly around her, and he shed tears. "I…I'm going to be a Dad…" That was all he could say at the moment. "What is…What will I name…?"
She couldn't help but smile, and hugged him back. At the same time, an air of bewilderment hung in the air. Was this young, tear-stricken boy, crying tears of joy at seeing his daughter from the future…the same battle-hardened man who raised her; the same man who didn't give a second thought to tearing off the heads of bio-engineered monsters with a twist of his wrist?
She reminded herself; this innocent boy had not yet been through that part of his life, and a part of herself hoped, despite her father saying it was inevitable, that he wouldn't have to go through that pain and suffering again. Trying to make herself forget such thoughts, she told Isaac her name.
"It's Amelia, Dad. But most people just call me Mia."
"Mia," Olivia said softly, "I recall Harold saying that was his mother's name."
Mia smiled, and looked around the library. She had never seen such peaceful surroundings in her life-time, and she knew that she didn't want her father to go through Hell again…even if one part of it was inevitable, no matter how things were changed.
"Now, let's go," Mia stated, and opened the machine's door, "those two are waiting."
"Who is?" Olivia asked.
"My Dad…" She stated, and looked at Isaac, "and my brother."
As the surroundings began to ripple and fade, Isaac sat there dazed. Olivia looked over at Isaac out of the corner of her eyes, and wasn't surprised. After all, he just found that not only did he have a daughter, but on top of that, a son. Olivia was equally as shocked, but more happy than anything that her own son would be a father himself someday. A part of her hoped that whoever their mother was, and Isaac himself, would be better parents than she and Harold were for Isaac.
"Well, here we go," Mia stated, "it isn't much, but it sure is amazing."
Amazing didn't cover it; the moment the shimmering stopped, they suddenly found themselves…somewhere. Amidst a vast darkness, a brilliant white stream flowed beneath them, and Isaac could almost see the glittering after-image of the library around them, like stars.
"What is…?" Isaac stated, in awe of the surroundings.
"We've just jumped out of the known Time-continuum." Mia explained. "We are still in the same place, though it may look like you are going forward…while for me, it is going back to where I came from."
Olivia marveled at the surroundings, but something suddenly caught her eye. The stream…was split into two. "What…what's happening over there?"
Pretty soon, they moved towards the divide, but instead of taking the straight path, they took the divergent path, and plunged further into darkness as the two paths separated, further and further apart.
"That is something that concerns me," Mia stated. "Even before I went through here the first time, we were never aware of that happening."
"What do you mean?" Isaac asked, already coming up with the most certain reason for the divergence.
"The time stream has split into two," Mia stated. "This means that someone from another future went back and changed the past."
"By first time you mean…?"
"I went back the first time as a test-run…" Mia stated, a little subdued, "since it was only a hobby of Billy's at the time. When I saw the split, I went back to my time, and informed Dad."
As this discussion took place, Olivia noted that the second time-stream could no longer be seen, and she saw a glowing red light up ahead.
"That's why it was decided to bring you two forward," Mia stated. "It isn't necessarily to help our future, since we could do it ourselves, but it is so you can find out what happened that caused the split, and repair it, so the time-stream will run its course again."
"What will happen to you?" Isaac asked in concern.
She smiled sadly, and spoke in resignation. "You'll go down the proper time-line, but my reality will remain in existence."
"…So…you will still have gone through Hell then."
"…At least it is better than never having existed."
Isaac didn't understand what this meant, and M.O.M simply concluded that the other alternative would be that the time-line would vanish once the change was made. However, Mia knew her father's darkest doubts in regards to what would happen. What M.O.M stated was only half-right.
The moment they came upon the red glowing spot, Mia smiled. "Here's our stop."
She pressed a button, and the machine submerged into the red glowing spot in the time-stream. The same shimmering as before was present through the glass, and when it stopped, so did Isaac's heart for a second. Was what he was seeing really Torrington Academy's library? Or to be more accurate, what happened to Sherbrooke, Quebec as a whole?
Mia opened the doors, and Isaac immediately jumped out, followed shortly by M.O.M, with Mia coming last. He looked up, only to find that there was no roof left, and the walls were also blown out, to show a desolate landscape with the occasional, ruined house being seen. In short, there was nothing left of the city.
"I don't believe it…" M.O.M said in shock. "What could have possibly happened to cause…this?"
"You two are going to help us find out. To be more precise, find out who tampered with the past."
Isaac and Olivia turned, and out of the shadows of the ruins nearby, a tall, white-haired man stepped out. He was completely dressed in black, and a scar extended out from his right eye, which was a sapphire blue. Isaac could immediately recognize who he was. After all, who would be blind enough to not recognize one's self?
"Isaac…" Olivia said in wonder, as the elder version of her son approached them. "You…you've changed so much."
"I'd be worried if I didn't," Isaac said, his tone almost emotionless, and he looked over at himself, and lifted an eye-brow. "I see you brought me along, as requested." He smiled, and placed a hand on Younger Isaac's head. "You must have been quite shocked when Mia told you who she was, weren't you?"
Isaac stared wide-eyed at…himself, and looked at Mia for help, who simply shrugged. Apparently, his future self acted like this once in a blue moon. "Well, it could have been him," Isaac stated, taking his hand off his younger self's head, "but it was Mia who won the draw."
"You mean…Mia's brother, right?" Isaac asked warily.
"Of course," a boy's voice stated from behind the time machine, "who else could it have possibly been?"
Olivia turned around, and had to do a double-take to make sure Isaac was still behind her. Isaac's son almost looked like an exact replica of his father except…upon seeing his face more clearly, Olivia could have sworn his face was a more like Diana's.
"You…?" Isaac began, but stopped. So this is my son. Isaac thought to himself. He looks quite similar to me, yet despite him being Mia's brother, he looks no older than her. Is it possible that I have…?
"Twins?" The boy stated. "Yes, I and Mia are fraternal twins, and if you are really wondering, my name is Marcus."
Isaac was bewildered; Marcus answered every single question he thought of in his head the moment they were finished, and not even. He smiled, and shook his head as tears flowed. "I…I don't know what to say…!"
"Then don't say anything, Dad." Marcus stated, and with a smile, hugged the young version of his father, who immediately returned the hug. Mia looked over at Olivia, who nodded, and joined the two. When she looked at Old Isaac, however, his face seemed grim. Leaving the young ones to their time together, she walked over to Isaac, and talked to him, as one parent to another.
"I warned Marcus to not use that," Isaac stated cryptically, "but that boy just can't resist. Glad my younger self doesn't notice or care."
Olivia looked at him strangely. Isaac spoke as if his son was…
She shook her mind from the subject, as it brought up painful memories. That and the name that Isaac's son shared with Diana's father…it just was too much. She quickly diverted to Isaac's reactions to the twins. "Well, it seems that your younger self is taking this quite steadily and well."
Old Isaac gave a small smile, "You may not believe this, but I never expected my younger self to take to this so quickly…must be my old naiveté."
"Well, you did take to trusting people a bit more after you met Diana," Olivia said, "since you'd give your life for her."
Old Isaac seemed to be in thought about something, and said, "Yes, that is true. Mother," he said seriously, "enjoy the happiness while you can, because I have to warn you; it won't last after it happens."
"What happens?" Olivia asked.
"…You should know," he said without emotion, "Since you've been keeping it secret from me and him for the past 11 years."